This website is devoted to the extraordinary mystics and visionaries of the Church, especially those who are lesser known, such as St Gemma Galgani, Blessed Alexandrina da Costa, Sr Consolata Betrone, Therese Neumann, Rev. Pere Lamy, Gabrielle Bossis, Josefa Menendez, Marthe Robin, Servant of God Louise Lateau, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity, Sister Maria Antonia and others. The author endeavors always to be in communion with the Catholic Church and its teachings.

Private Revelations and Obedience to the Catholic Church by: Glenn Dallaire

Obedience to the Catholic Church has always been the “litmus test” that that Church uses for discerning the authenticity of a mystic or visionary and their alleged private revelations. A true mystic or visionary will always obey the legitimate religious superiors and authorities in the Church. We can be sure that if a mystic or seer is in any way disobedient to the local Bishop or their religious Superiors, then the alleged revelations and messages cannot be authentic. God's graces flow through His Church in union with the legitimate authority (ie- Pope, Bishops, Religious Superiors) that He Himself has established.

Jesus established the authority in the Catholic Church through the Apostles, with Peter as their Head. Through Apostolic and Papal succession, the Bishops are the successors to the Apostles, with the Pope as the successor of Peter, as the Head (cf. Matt. 16:18). And, as successors to the Apostles, it is the Bishops duty, in union with the Pope, to safeguard and protect the faithful in the purity of the Catholic faith. The very real danger in following an alleged visionary is that one can very easily be led astray by the erroneous teachings and revelations of a false mystic or visionary. In fact, throughout the centuries, some Catholics have been led out of the Church by false visionaries and seers.

The authority to judge, and the obligation of the faithful to obey“We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.” (1 John 4:6)

The “us” John is referring to is Peter and his fellow Apostles and their successors, that is, the Pope and the Bishops. Obedience to “us” is the key that John gives us to “knowing the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit”. The Catholic Church, through the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit given to the Pope and the Bishops alone has the authority to judge the private revelations of mystics and visionaries, and it is our obligation and duty to obey the judgment of the Church. Catholics should be aware that willful disobedience to the Church is a sin. Willful disobedience is when one knowingly and intentionally disobeys the legitimate authority and judgment of the Church. (ie- local Bishop). Even should the local Bishop mistakenly disapprove of a genuine revelation, obedience to the Church always remains paramount. It is a sin to propagate a private revelation disobediently, but it can never be a sin not to propagate one.

While we are free to have an personal opinion regarding a private revelation, we must submit to the judgment of the Church with practical obedience. What this means is that while we are free to disagree privately with a Bishops decision, (the Bishop is not infallible these matters), we are obligated to obey with practical obedience, that is, we may not act against the Bishops decree or judgment; we may not propagate the private revelation or alleged messages that the Bishop has judged negatively, or continue to say publicly that you regard it as genuine. No private individual has the authority to judge definitively and officially which private revelations are true and which are not. The authority to rule on the authenticity of a private revelation rests solely with the local Bishop.

Never forget that the Holy Spirit guides and protects the Church

Setting up Christ against His Church
Authentic mystics, like Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, St Teresa of Avila, St Catherine of Siena and St Margaret Mary Alacoque are models of obedience. They never pretended to set up Christ against His Church through the revelations that they were given . In fact, there are countless occasions in the lives of the Saints where Our Lord gave them a directive, but then their religious superior or spiritual director forbade it. On every one of these occasions in the lives of the Saints, Jesus always instructed them to obey the directives of their religious superior, even when they were against His own directives or wishes.

Concerning a Mystic or private revelation one might say "That Bishop is a bad Bishop. I think the Bishop is wrong and his judgement is incorrect".

Such a sentiment or statement implies that God is not guiding His Church or those He has placed in authority over it. Even if the Bishop was a "bad Bishop", God still works through him, in respect to his Office as Bishop and Shepherd. Sinful or not, faulty or not, God ALWAYS has power over His creatures, especially the Shepherds who represent Him and His Church. Even if the Bishop is incorrect in his judgement of a mystic or private revelation, one is always correct in obeying his judgement. For Jesus says in Matthew 23 1-3:"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the
law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them
and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not
practice what they preach".So we see how Jesus commands us to be obedient to those who are placed as leaders of the Church, even if a particular Bishop happens to be a "bad bishop" in one's own opinion.

Those who disobey the negative judgement of the local Bishop concerning a mystic defend their disobedience to the Bishop by saying- "I would rather believe in God than man", which is really saying that God has no power over the very bishop that He commands us to obey, and that God, through the Holy Spirit, does not enlighten the Bishop, or influence him to make the proper judgment. This person, therefore, becomes their own bishop, judge and authority, apart from Christ's Church. In other words, such persons would rather believe in the mystic than the Church, and thereby set up Christ against His Church.

Can a bishop make an error in discernement and judgement of a private revelation? Yes, if God permits it. The Church teaches us that private revelations are never to be held as the source or the basis of our faith, and as Catholics we are not required to believe in any of them, not even the Church approved ones such as Lourdes or Fatima. Only the doctrines and teachings of the Church are to be our sole guide and rule of our faith. And God, to emphasise this fact, and to test our humility and obedience to those He has placed in authority in His Church, can permit a Bishop to make an negative judgement concerning an authentic mystic or private revelation. But even if such is the case, one is always obligated to obey the judgement of the local Bishop in matters of faith and morals.

The proper order of faith and obedience that must be given to God
From the earliest of times, the Catholic church has always taught that the correct order of one's obedience and the assent of faith is to be given to God first, then the Church that He founded upon Peter and the apostles. Now it should immediately be noted that the normal channel in which God works is in and through His Church. In addition, the Church has always taught that private revelation---even Church approved private revelation--is not a requirement of faith and belief. For example, faithful Catholics are not obligated to believe in the popular private revelations of say Fatima or Lourdes etc., (although one could argue that it is a loss for a person not to believe in the more popular Church approved ones). Nevertheless, when the Church approves of a private revelation, it is simply deeming it "Worthy of belief".

On the other hand, some followers of certain visionaries and mystics have the order of obedience and the assent of faith as being God AND private revelation (of their particular visionary) as being on one and the same level, and then next would come the Church founded by Jesus upon Peter and the apostles. And so, instead of having private revelation as not a requirement of faith, some followers of visionaries have the revelations of their visionaries as being above the Church---at one and the same level as God Himself! In other words, important elements of their faith and belief is based on the private revelations of the visionary that they are attached to which supplant or add significant additional elements to the true doctrines and beliefs that Jesus Himself has given to His Church through the Deposit of Faith. Such a practice runs contrary to the Catechism of the Catholic Church which teaches that the role of private revelation is not to "improve or complete Christs' definitive revelation".

The Example of the Saints
On one occasion, the Sacred Heart of Jesus made a request to St Margaret Mary Alocoque, but when she told her Superior this request, her Superior did not approve. Soon afterwards, when Jesus came to her again, she asked Him about this, and He replied: "…not only do I desire that you should do what your Superior commands, but also that you should do nothing of all that I request of you without their consent. I love obedience, and without it no one can please Me" [Autobiography of St Margaret Mary].
Elsewhere in her Autobiography, we read that St Margaret Mary was told by Our Lord: "Listen, My daughter, and do not lightly believe and trust every spirit, for Satan is angry and will try to deceive you. So do nothing without the approval of those who guide you. Being thus under the authority of obedience, his efforts against you will be in vain, for he has no power over the obedient" [cf. -Autobiography]

In the life of St Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) we discover that his Bishop, Archbishop Gagliardi, falsely accused Padre Pio of various wrongdoings, and had unjust sanctions imposed upon him. When people would speak against the Bishop concerning these unjust sanctions, St. Pio would quickly respond “The will of the Bishop is the will of God.” Conscious of the importance of obedience, Padre Pio was always showing an example of true religious obedience and respect to his superiors. For him, the superior was the image of Christ, and obeying him was obeying Christ. But it happened that God used Padre Pio's superiors as instruments for him to suffer from the Church, and for the Church. And so we see that even if the Bishop may be wrong in his judgment, we are always doing God's will by obeying him.

In the Diary of St Faustina Kowalska we read:
"...Jesus says; 'Obedience. I have come to do My Father’s will. I obeyed my Parents, I obeyed My tormentors and now I obey the Priests'
And concerning obedience St Faustina further wrote: "...I understood that our efforts, no matter how great, are not pleasing to God if they do not bear the seal of obedience.... I understand, O Jesus, the spirit of obedience and in what it consists. It includes not only external actions, but also one’s reason, will and judgment. In obeying our superiors, we obey God.." -Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska

And elsewhere in her diary she writes: "Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience." (Diary, par. 939).

And again St Faustina writes "I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus. I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me" (Diary, 497).
And in reading the text we see that Our Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it.

Additionally, St Catherine of Siena states- “Oh! How sweet and glorious is this virtue of obedience, which contains all the other virtues! Because it is born of charity, and on it the rock of the holy Faith is founded; it is a queen, and he who espouses it knows no evil, but only peace and rest.”

The life of the false mystic Sr. Magdalena de la Cruz should be a very stark warning to all about the grave dangers of being misled by a false visionary or mystic. During her youth, Sr. Magdalena made a pact with the devil and eventually became a Franciscan nun, and then the mother Prioress of her convent. She became famous for her (false) mystical graces, prophesies, stigmata, visions etc, and ended up misleading many within the Church, along with numerous high dignitaries throughout Spain and abroad. Those interested can read an article on Sr. Magdalena of the Cross that I wrote here

All that glitters is not necessarily gold, and the devil does not counterfeit tin or copper---he seeks to counterfeit gold. So, Catholics need to be very careful not to be misled by the false gold of phony visionaries and mystics.

Additionally, for those interested I have written another article on this subject entitled "Mystics and Visionaries in the world today" that includes a bit of my own personal experiences with mystics and also some more thoughts on judging and discernment.

65 comments:

Not only Medjugorje but also supporters of other visionaries/ apparitions often declare that judgement has been taken away from the local Bishop, and that it is the Vatican who now has the authority to judge the auhenticity of the alleged events....in other words, "the judgement is in the hands of the Vatican"

In reply I will not address Medjugorje or any other current apparition specifically, but will simply state the normal Church procedure concerning discernement and judgement of alleged private revelations.

Under almost all circumstances, the Ordinary (local Bishop) alone has the authority to judge a private revelation or apparition within his diocese.

In such cases as Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe etc, Rome and/or the Pope simply "recognise" the local Bishops approval. This is officially called a "Recognito".Except for very rare circumstances, the Vatican and/or the Pope does not "approve" or authenticate private revelations or apparitions. The Vatican simply recognises the Local Bishops approval (or disapproval).

A Bishop may appoint a Commission or ask a Regional or National Bishops Conference to assist him in discerning, but once again it is the local Bishop, as the successor to the Apostles, who firstly and normally has the sole authority to judge the authenticity of a private revelation.

If a apparition has a Regional or National significance, or if the local Bishop has requested it, then it is *possible* that the Vatican may issue a judgement as to its authenticity, but this is very rare and is not normal Church procedure.

Having studied many mystics/visionaries/apparitions, I have never discovered a single occasion where the Pope or the Vatican over-ruled a local Bishops negative decision. I do not believe that this has ever happened in the 2000 year history of the Church. so I find it highly unlikely that the Vatican would ever rule in favor of a visionary or apparition that the local Bishop had previously given a negative judgement.

In other words, the suggestion of certain followers of some current visionaries or apparitions that the Pope or the Vatican will officially "override" a Bishops lawful negative decision is something that has never happened in the 20 centuries of the Church.

Simply put, the point is that the Vatican and/or the Pope almost never formally make judgements concerning the authenticity of private revelations /apparitions/ visionaries, and they certainly do not overrule a local Bishops lawful judgement as to the authenticity of a rivate revelation occuring within his Diocese.

The local Bishop, as the successor of the apostles, is the sole authority and shepherd of the flock in matters of safe guarding the faith and morals within his diocese and of judging the authenticity of apparitions and private revelations occurring within his diocese....this in part, is why the Bishops are called "shepherds" and "princes" of the Church.

Concerning a negative decision by a local Bishop, what can happen ON VERY RARE OCCASIONS is that a later local Bishop, that is, a sucessor to this current one, can reverse the PREVIOUS Bishops decision, (or he can appoint a Commission or a Regional or National Bishops Conference who can reverse the decision). Historically this is VERY rare, but it has happened to some extent even recently for example in Amsterdam, concerning the "Lady of all Nations" and her appearences to the visionary Ida Peerdeman for example.

This point is so important that I must state it again: What is really at stake is fidelity and obedience (or disobedience) to the Catholic Church. Even if under rare conditions an apparition or private revelation is a special case whereby the judgement as to its authenticity in the hands of the Vatican , the faithful are OBLIGATED TO OBEY THE LOCAL BISHOPS DECISION(S) UNTIL IF/WHEN THE VATICAN MAKES A RULING.

+fiat+ ... i'm desiring to be OBEDIENT to the official church stand regarding maria valtorta & her writings, an also our local locutionists carlos lopez & jorge zavala here in san bruno california ... or please direct me to another site ... praised be jesus & mary ... thank you

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately I am not familiar with Mr Carlos Lopez & Jorge Zavala. Perhaps you can contact the local Diocese for San Bruno, California to see if the local Bishop has made any judgements concerning either of them.

With in regards to the Italian Mystic Maria Valtorta, there are several excellent websites on the Internet that discuss the Church position concerning "The Poem of the Man-God" written by her. As for myself, I have read "The Poem of the Man-God" and I found it to be very inspiring and edifying. However, I am not in a position to judge its authenticity -that is for the Church to decide.

In response to your question regarding Maria Valtorta's work, The Poem of the Man God, the official church position took a turn in the 1980'2 from where it presently rests. Unfortunately much mis-information still floats around regarding this work even today. Back in the 1980's the Church came out with many contrary opinions in response from the iitial "approval" given by Pope Pius XII which said "let the faithful read it"...You can google "Pope Pius XII's rsponse and see the circumstances that followed by various bishops and Pope John who chimed in on their opinions. Back in the 1980's, again this work came to the forefront and was negatively criticized by many EWTN employees, (one of which was Fr. Mitch Pacwa). the4 comments made which of course were," personal" opinion led to the Vatican reviewing the Church's official position on the work since there was obviously conflicting sentiments; which you can read for yourself after googling this info... To clarify, in the mid 1990's the Vatican released a statement that while they did not feel that there was anything that was "supernatural" about the work, that it contained no moral or doctrinal errors that would put the faithful in any danger who wished to read it. The stir that caused much of the debate was from statements made in Volume 1,(I think it was Volume 1)where the Blessed Virgin Mary allegedly tells St.Anne (her mother) something to the effect of "oh mummy, I wish that I could be a sinner (only once) to be able to experiencef the great love, forgiveness, and mercy of our God. In no way was Mary trying to imply that she wanted to offend God by commiting a sin,( this would be impossible and a contradiction that Holy Mother Church made proclaiming the Mother of God, free from sin and Immaculate), but rather was defining her understanding given at that early age as to God's great Mercy. To further confuse matters, it has allegedly been said to some of the visionaries in Medjugorje, when the question was posed to our Lady about Maria Valtorta's work "if it can be read", and our Lady's response was allegedly, "It is real and can be read". What was interesting about that would be that our Lady would NEVER go against the Church's hierarchy's decision so like the great split that exists by many in the Church whether our Lady's appearences are real or not, recently Cardinal Schonburn affirmedthe chucrch's position that "while nothing to date can be declared supernatural or not supernatural, the faithful can go to Medjugorje, and are encouraged to go, as "Pope John Paul II" affirmed when he said, "Medgugorje is a place of prayer and great fruits. I hope that this help clears up the confusion for you? God's Peace!

I have had some dreams and have seen unusual things.In these occurrences, I have not been given a specific message or order, I believe they are signal graces. I have spoken to my Priest about them. Should I also speak to the Bishop?

God's Peace! and a Happy Easter to you. I left a comment on this post back in January responding to your question regarding the mystic Maria Valtorta. In response to your most recent post concerning your dreams and the unusual things which you have seen, there would not be a need or requirement to discuss or disclose anything with the Bishop unless you were directed to do so by the priest whom you spoke to or others in church authority. Without getting too personal, as Glenn said well, only you will truly know what to do with the information and "signal graces" which you have received. To comment further about this would be purely speculative and foolish to do as I am not exactly sure what you are referring to; however, remember this...that it is God's choice and perogative to gift or do what He desires with a soul. It may not be necessary to share what He might prefer you keep as personal, just for you; unless of course He directs you to do otherwise or unless you had reservations or concerns about what you have received. (In either case you already have done the prudent thing by referring your questions and concerns to the priest that you have spoken with about this) Just a helpful thought Christina, but I would pray and ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to show you what to do. No worries then! Do remember that if it is God's desire for this to be made known to others, by being obedient to His desires, you will be given the grace and direction to do what He asks. But do be careful that it is not your need to share what He may wishes to remain intimately personal and intended just for you. Whatever you decide to do, accept these graces in humility and with deep gratitude to Him and continue to pray.... I hope this helps? Paul

Thanks Paul for your excellent comments. You brought out an excellent point about the distinction between revelations that are only for the individual person involved, and other revelations which are for the enlightenment of others, and the building up of the Church.

Our Parish is blessed with a very young and new Priest. And, I am a Catholic convert and have been appointed as the DRE of our Parish.

I pray earnestly and sincerely for the Blessed Mother to use me as her tool to teach her children what she wants them to learn. In my dreams, I have never been told something that I must tell others and I have had no inspirations that I even need to share anything with anyone. I am instructed (by whom I believe is the Blessed Mother) what she wants me to teach the children. These include going into detail about the 10 Commandments, How to Pray the Rosary, How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the significance of the 7 Sacraments as unbreakable Covenants with God (from God's point of view).

I have always questioned whether or not these dreams are of holy origin, evil or just me making things up in my head. But, thanks to your site, I am reassured that if anything goes against the doctrine of the Church or what the Bishop commands, (whether I like it or not), that it could not have heavenly origin. I believe it was St. Faustina who said that Satan can not wear the cloak of obedience. My sole desire is obedience to God, The Blessed Mother, the Pope, my Bishop, my priest, true Catholic doctrine and traditions and last, but not least, Holy Scriptures.

I am not the other anonymous person who posted about "fiat". But, I understand anonymous' desire to be obedient just as Mary was when she said "fiat" to God's Will.

After sharing with my godmother that I often pray and sing alone to the Lord in our church, and that the last few times Jesus on the Crucifix became real to me, and the very last time, he looked at me, she said this is something that she reads that mystics and Saints have seen. I was also extremely worried that I had the wrong reaction when I was terrified when Our Lord looked at me. I was worried that I had offended Him. She reassured me that many others have felt fear as well. I had never known of what a mystic is, so this is how I came to your site. Within a half hour of Our Lord looking at me, while I was singing "Open the Eyes of My Heart" to him, a very sick parishioner called me from the hospital. He is charge of the Alter Servers and he rarely ever calls me. I felt that I needed to tell him what happened. He told me that Jesus was telling me that I am on the right path, that he sees me and that I am doing good. He said, "you sang, I want to see You", and so he did what you asked.

I have prayed about what I have seen and drempt. I believe The Holy Spirit guided me here so I can see the words of saints and mystics (and know that I am not insane, lol) Thank you so much for your hard work. I pray that The Lord and our Blessed Mother continue to bless you with fortitude. May your hearts always burn with desire for Christ.

Hi Christina,Thank you for sharing a bit of your spiritual journey with us.

I agree with the gentleman who is in charge of the altar servers when he said that you are on the right path. Remain humble and loving and you will most certainly continue to please our Lord. I think you did well by informing your priest of the graces that you have received.

Keep in touch and may God bless you and may He continue to draw you ever closer to Himself!

I'm convinced that the events at Medjugorje are genuine; that Mary is appearing to the visionaries. The allegation that they disobeyed the bishop is unfounded. However, even though "Obedience" has been the litmus test in the past, it may not be appropriate in the present. Isn't there a prophecy indicating that satan will enter the Church. One hint is as follows: The Akita prophecy, in part, contains the following: "The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate Me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres … churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord."

To be honest telling people to show obedience to the church is so over the top.

Consider the work of the Church in the abuse of children in Ireland and Belgium and other countries. Consider the cover up after cover up. To quote the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny in Ireland

"The rape and the torture of children were downplayed or managed to uphold, instead, the primacy of the institution, its power, its standing, and its reputation. Far from listening to evidence of humiliation and betrayal with St. Benedict's "ear of the heart", the Vatican's reaction was to parse and analyse it with the gimlet eye of a canon-lawyer. This calculated, withering position being the polar opposite of the radicalism, the humility, and the compassion upon which the Roman Church was founded; the radicalism, the humility, and the compassion which are the very essence of its foundation and its purpose; the behaviour being a case of Roma locuta est: causa finita est, except in this instance, a Cheann Comhairle, nothing could be further from the truth"

This is what the Church have done and we have to obey them. No way. Jesus loved children - and our church inflicted untold damage on the most vulnerable- children. However as bad as that is, the Church went out of her way to cover it up.

Hi Anonymous,Thank you for your comments.The problem with your position is that it condradicts what Jesus taught in the Gospel about the authority that God gives to His representatives. Neither myself nor anyone in the Catholic church could argue that the Pope or the Bishops are perfect, or without sin----in fact, there are certain Bishops who are living very sinful and scandalous lives, far from the Gospel and the calling that they have received.

Nevertheless in Matthew 23:1-3, Jesus speaks about the absolute necessity of obedience to God's representatives and the authority He has given to them:

"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice." (Mt 23:1-3)

So, it is not a matter of the holiness or the sinfulness of certain Bishop(s), but it is the seat of authority and the position that God has given them that we are to obey.

And likewise again speaking about the authority of Peter (the first Pope) Jesus said in Matthew 16:18-19:

"And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Peter was commissioned by Jesus to be the first Pope and in the above Gospel Jesus once again Jesus stresses the authority given to Peter. The succession (that is the line) of Popes from Peter until our current Pope Benedict is unbroken, and our current Pope is the 265th Pope since Peter.

Along with Peter the first Pope, the apostles where the first Bishops, and through the laying of hands in succession from the Apostles to the Bishops after them have never been broken. This "Apostolic succession" from the Apostles to the moder day Bishops has also never been broken, and their authority and commision by Jesus continues to this day.

And Jesus continues to repeat the commission and authority of the apostles-bishops in many Gospels, such as:

"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." (Jn 20:21)

Or again:

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." (Mt 10:40)

And again:"He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." (Lk 10:16)

So, it is Jesus Himself who upon instituting His Church, ordered and gave authority in His name to the Pope and Bishops, and obedience is due them regardless of and individual Bishops faults, weaknesses or sins. And this why, prior to instituting His Church, when the Jewish Church still posessed the God given authority, Jesus said: “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice." (Mt 23:1-3)

The Pope and the Bishops in communion with him possess the authority of Christ, supported and guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit. (Read the Book of Acts 15:28-35)

And so, with all due respect, we can see that that your position contradicts the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.

And so, with all due respect, we can see that that your position contradicts the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.

How dare you state that to me. My position is not against the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels - yes I struggle like everyone else. It is the Church from the Pope down to the priests are not living or acting with the teachings of Jesus in mind. There are some wonderful priests - but a lot of bad ones. They have have done tremendous damage to the church in Ireland and turning people away from their faith and church. I think Glenn you need a strong dose of reality and stop quoting from the Gospel but actually get out there and see the hurt that the Church has done here in Ireland.

Hi Anonymous,Please be assured that I didn't mean to offend you in any way. I am simply pointing out the teachings of the Catholic church.

It's not a matter of opinions- my opinion opposing yours---What I have stated is not my opinion, it is what Jesus stated and how He established His Church, and what the Catholic church teaches. We either give assent to what the Church teaches or we don't.

And I completelty acknowledge and understand that some preists and even bishops have commited horrible sins in Ireland and elsewhere--but we have to distinguish the Church from its members. The Church and its teachings come from God, and are therefore holy, its members on the other hand are frail and sinful.We have to distinguish between the two, and not blame the Church itself for the faults of its members.

Though Jesus said to obey the priests and pharisees and Caiaphas, the apostles defied them in following Jesus.The priests and pharisees were saying Jesus is not the messiah and not to follow him.How would you explain that?

Hi Amy,Thanks for your comment.In Chapter 4 of the Acts of the Apostles, because they were "proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead" the Jewish leaders forbade Peter and John to preach in Jesus' holy Name.

The reason that God allowed them to disobey Caiphas, Annas and the other Jewish leaders is the very same reason that Jesus Himself did not obey the sanctions that they would have liked to place upon Him--and the reason is THAT NEITHER JESUS NOR THE APOSTLES WERE SUBJECTED TO THEIR AUTHORITY. Jesus was subjected to the authority of the Father, and the apostles were subjected to the authority of Jesus and His mandate to them ("...I give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven....whatever you declare bound on earth" etc...)Matthew 16:18. The apostles were given the special mandate to share in Jesus' authority (Mt. 18:18)

However, we are not Jesus, nor have we been given the divine authority of the Apostles, so in our case Scripture teaches us that we Christians are subjected to the authority of Jesus THROUGH His representatives, the Bishops who are the successors to the apostles. In fact there are so many Scripture references to this point that I suggest that for a deeper understanding of the biblical teaching of Apostolic authority and succession one should read this:APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY AND SUCCESSION -Scriptural documentation

Making oneself one's own judge and authority in the matters of christian faith and doctrine is the error of the Protestants. This error of making oneself one's own authority through self interpretation of the christian faith is why the Protestants have been fracturing and splitting into never ending denominations and sects for the past 500 years. Last count has over 30,000 different Protestant denominations and sects, all claiming to be the sole "authority" in the christian faith and scriptures....

Regarding the church and its Hierarchy in Ireland. Sure some people suffered , suffering inflicted by other people, albeit persons in postitions of trust. Yet I find if you compare the tragedies to the rest of the world, especially in the last century, then Ireland does not have that much to complain about. Millions of people died all over europe, asia , africa wehereas Ireland was enjoying a peaceful isolated existence, only disturbed by maybe one or two stray German bombs and an over eager IRA. The Church is nowadays made out to be a foreign institution manned by foreign people whereas, especially in Ireland, the church was "manned" by our own brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts. It was and is a family business. The perpetrators came out of our midst, so who are we blaming? We should be blaming our own society. We should ask the question " What is wrong with the Irish" and not so much " What is wrong with the church" This applies to other countries too. Ultimately humans are sinners and this is the reason for the existence of the Church. The church is a fishing net cast out by Jesus to catch ( Sinnful)Men. In Ireland we also want to blame someone as the Germans could blame the Nazis and Russians the Sovjets. Truth is "Mea culpa" is the realistic approach. Have a look at the atrocities being commited as we speak. Of all the abuse cases in Ireland only about 3% are down to Church officials. What about the rest, who speaks about them, who even cares about them? As they have no political anti-church value, they are never mentioned.

Hi Anonymous,-Exellent point! It is wrong to blame the Church for the sinfulness of Its members. After all, the Church deeply rejects and condemns the sinful actions that these particular priests in Ireland committed.

After all, if a individual policeman commits a horrible crime, do we then blame the police department who naturally condemns such actions?

Glen Dallaire from the 'Mystics of the Church' states that 'Obedience to the Catholic Church has always been the 'litmus test'.

1. The Torah tells the people to give obedience to God not the Church.

2. The 'litmus test' is nothing to do with the Catholic Church, it is only God himself that tells you if and when a person has passed the 'litmus test'.

3. The early followers of the one known as Jesus were told not to build upon his foundations with building materials. As such, no religious buildings to be built in the honor of his Son.

4. The Catholic Church was not given any authority to authenticate a mystic or visionary as Glen Dallaire claims. Only a mystic can authenticate another mystic, and the LORD God himself gives testimony for his prophets in the same way, as he gave testimony for Moses. When I asked the LORD God to give testimony for me, 5 million trees burned down on Mount Carmel at Jewish New Year.

The biblical prophecies also tell you that the recent uprising in Egypt was testimony for Joseph and Prophet Isaiah predicted that the fire would come down upon on Israel.

5. Glenn states that a 'visionary will always a obey the legitimate religious superiors and authorities of the Church. No, Glen. The mystics are responsible to the divine not what the bible calls the 'elemental forces' that the Catholic Church is part of. An example of that is that they are bankers that the Son of God stood against.

6. Glenn speaks of the authority to judge. However, the NT tells the followers of Jesus 'Judge not or you will be judged. Condemn not or you will be condemned. Only the Saints, and the wondrous woman from heaven has the divine authority to judge in the last days of the end times. Jesus told his followers that the Queen of the South would come to judge this generation when the sign of Jonah arrived in Israel. The dove was given in Israel in May 2006 and the whale arrived in 2010.

Glenn Dallaire is another shepherd that has 'no favor or union' with the LORD God. Prophet Zechariah predicted that such people would be cut off in this timeline.

It is nice to meet you. Thank you for your commentary. I could respond to your comments point by point, but I sense that it would not be spiritually fruitful to do so, since obviously there is a vast gulf that seperates our religious beliefs. Besides, my replies to each of your points would not be my own personal opinions, but would be what the Catholic church hold and teaches on these matters.

And, since these teachings are readily availible online, one can easily research what the Church teaches on these matters, without me having to try to explain them in this forum.

In closing, I pray that God may bless you and may He draw you ever closer to Himself. Shalom,-Glenn Dallaire

Hi Anonymous,I can say that I have some serious reservations about the alleged revelations of Ann a Lay Apostle.These two articles briefly highlight some of the more serious allegations concerning her:Controversy surrounding Anne the Lay Apostle

Well the basic premise is flawed. You just have to consider the case of St. Joan of Arc, who is a saint for the very fact that she refused to submit to the authority of the bishop. She was martyred by the bishop and the legitimate Church authorities. There is no getting around the fact that she did not feel she owed obedience to the bishop above obedience to God. Bishops are not infallible.

Hi Denis,Thanks for your comment. You make a excellent point to consider in regards to St Joan of Arc--indeed this was an extraordinary case--but the question remains--should she have obeyed the Cardinal, even if he was wrong in his judgments? The examples in the article above point to the fact that she should have obeyed, for God's will and work cannot be stopped by the poor judgments of a erring Bishop. In other words, God's "plan" or works are not subject to the decisions of man. In fact, we often see that most of His works are accomplished in spite of the opposition of man.

The fact remains that Joan of Arc was declared a Saint because of her heroic virtues, and NOT because she listened to her "voices" over that of the Cardinal. And you are right--Bishops are not infallible, and neither is even the Pope (except of course in very special occasions when he is declaring something ex-cathedera) but nevertheless we are obligated to give assent to their judgments, because of the authority they have been given a successors to the apostles.

We do know that God is pleased with obedience to the legitimate Church authority, as he has revealed this many, many times to various Saints and Blessed's throughout the centuries, some of which are brought forth in the article above.

The premise concerning the faithful's requirement of obedience to the local Bishop is indeed true and has been a rule of governance of the Catholic Church for centuries. All the faithful, including priests, deacons etc are to give assent to the judgments of the local Bishop on diocesan matters in which one lives (ie- matters such as the bishops judgment concerning specific visionaries or private revelations, for example) and if you disagree with such a premise, then you are disagreeing not with me, but with the laws of governance within the Church.

With regard to the question of St. Joan of Arc, it should also be noted that she was not disobedient to her local bishop (or, for that matter, to any church authority).

Her trial was conducted by an English bishop, while she was a French girl. She merely and honestly answered the questions put to her, and did not lie to save herself from a guilty verdict (we are not required to obey our bishop if he is asking us to commit sin, after all). And during her trial, she appealed to the Pope, expressing in so doing, her absolute obedience to the Church. However, the bishop overseeing her trial never allowed her appeal.

Because of these irregularities, as well as the proof of her life, her excommunication was lifted, her guilty verdict was overturned, and she was eventually hailed as a martyr and saint.

In none of these things was she disobedient, even to the corrupt English bishop. In fact, at her trial, she answered one particular question with these words:

"About Jesus Christ and His Church, I know that they are one and the same thing, and we should not confuse the matter."

Great article, and great site, Glenn. Keep up the good work!

May our common story and common meal, Jesus Christ, bring you joy.Gregory

Hi Glenn, I'm really struck by your patience and obvious goodness. Even when people are upset and frustrated. This is a beautiful site and gives me great hope. I am from Ireland and I do have to say from my early childhood I have been blessed to know holy and good priests who were kind, humble and true.I am in my 30's.Observing the holiness of such priests was a strong factor in helping me return to my faith.I thought,"I'm getting into that boat!"Many thanks for this site! Annie

Oh, just a note. Regarding Medjugorje. If you go to the official website of the Diosese of Mostar (Mejugorje is in this diosese) you will be able to read the Bishop's official letters regarding the alleged apparitions ( english translations are on website also.) There's a number of documents written by two Bishops of Mostar on the subject.The Bishop at the time the alleged apparitions took place in 1981 and his successor. They are in accord with one another on this matter. I've read the letters and the allegations that the children disobeyed the directions of the Bishop are not unfounded.There are a number of instances. The Bishop explains this very clearly in these official documents on the website.Its important to read these letters.Thanks, Annie

Just to let you know that this particular post on obedience has more than one purpose.Many years I spent with both the SSPX and sedevacantists. About three years ago, I returned to the Church. However, the past eight months or so have become increasingly difficult and, on a weekly basis, I battle the temptation to return to my sedevacantist chapel.This is to let you know that when the going gets really rough for me, I come here and read this.With obedience and humility, I can't go wrong.

Hi Lorra,Thanks for your comments and for sharing a bit of your spiritual journey. I have had a similar experience--not with the SSPX (a group which incidentally I have read about) but with another movement that was once in the Catholic church, and like the SSPX was very conservative and traditional, but has since gone astray from the Church due to doctrinal issues and disobedience to the legitmate Church suthorities, along with a certain activity that was against canon law.

Something I didn't point out in the article above, yet is really something to consider, is that Jesus often stressed how He was obedient to the Father, even though He was God Himself, to show us the importance of obedience to the legitimte spiritual authority.

Thanks again for your comments.May God bless you and your loved ones!-Glenn Dallaire

I thought the bishops were supposed to be united and in obedience to Holy Father the Pope. I thought the Priests were supposed to be in obedience to the Bishops etc and we in obedience to the Priests.I read some time ago the Bishops in Canada I believe defied the Pope with regards to the birth control issue back years ago, and have struggled with the whole issue ever since.

Would it not be better to state obedience to the Bishops who are likewise in obedience to the Holy Father.

Hi Anonymous,Thanks for your comments. You make some important considerations.

From the Church's perspective, all persons are obligated to give assent to the decisions of the local bishop concerning matters that directly concern and effect the local diocese.

However, on matters of faith and morals, Catholics are obligated to obey the teachings of the Church (and the Pope when he is speaking specifically on matters of faith and morals).

So, in the example of certain Canadian Bishop(s) contradicting the terachings of the Church on articficial birth control, SINCE THIS IS NOT A SPECIFIC CONCERN OF THE LOCAL DIOCESE, and is rather a matter of faith and morals concerning the entire church as a whole, one definitely would in such a case, be obligated to obey the teachings of the Church. In other words, the authority of the Bishop is limited to local matters that concern his diocese specifically. If he was to somehow conradict a teaching of the Church or the pope on a matter of faith or morals, the faithful would be obligated to obey the Church taching, and not that of the local Bishop.

And it is for this very reason that the Catholic faithful are protected from an errant bishop(s) in the area that matter the most-- that is, matters offaith and morals. At the same time however, the faithful may be obligated at times to obey the local bishop on a diocesian matter that may not be just...an example of this would be with St Padre Pio when the local Archbishop Pasquale Gagliardi of Manfredonia repeatedly sanctioned Padre Pio for unjust and unsubstantiated reasons, to the great dismay of countless persons.Padre Pio, for his part, always obeyed each of the unjust sanctions of his bishop, and strongly encouraged others to obey also.

Thanks again for your comments and may God bless you and your loved ones.-Glenn Dallaire

Glenn, may God bless you and your family. I would like to thank you for your wise reply to my question regarding the Canadian Bishops.

Your blog is a blessing and I was encouraged with your kindness to other questioners which carried deep hurt and harsh words in their frustration. Your charity is contagious.

The thing that has troubled me for years, somewhat expressed in my first question is;

When news spread from the Canadian published statement, the fall out went way beyond Canada. It penetrated the wider church, with devastating consequences to this day. Did the Canadian Catholics realize these men appear to have acted outside their authority. Or are local Bishops allowed to lead their flock away from church teaching?

The way I came to feel was and is, eg. if a man be he a road sweeper or a Prince makes a statement "I will not serve" in defiance of the Holy Father. He has issued the battle cry which is tantamount to defying God Himself. And I pray for all Shepherds and consecrated servants of Our Lord. I pray for the fallen ones well published and paraded by the media in recent years. And I live in dread for what we may have been misguided into calling upon ourselves and our descendants as a result.

Holy Fathers published writings have proven to be both prophetic and wise for our wellbeing and Redemption. Jesus gave ONE set of keys to the Kingdom, and He gave them to Peter. Other Shepherds need to be united to Holy Father so as not to risk schism. That is where I see us headed now. God preserve us. And I hope I am wrong.

We are blessed with holy Shepherds and servants of Our Lord too, I must add. God bless them and fellow Christians like you who give us a light into and help to understand what is going on. May charity abound above all.

Visions and miracles claimed throughout the history Of Christianity cannot be simply ignored, in Spite of the fact that fraudulent cases do Exist from persons in need of prayer And help.

Miracles of The Eucharist, Visions of Our Lady,Various medically confirmed cases of The stigmata or the wounds of Christ-At the time of composing 60 plus-And innumerable cures claimed and Confirmed by many sincere peopleOf faith and no faith cannot be Swept under the carpet of Atheism or ignored by agnosticism.

Nor can Jesus, who established His Church upon Peter, Be ignored as if a part of fiction. Especially His claim That God exists and that He and God are One! A claim endorsed by the history of the miracles Surrounding Jesus prior to His death and especially His resurrection from the dead. Which are in tune With the miracles of the Old Testament periodAnd its promise of a Messiah for the good of all.Per Ipsum Eucharisticum!

A male of insignificant appearance, easy toGet on with and the source of much joy in-spiteOf gruelling abuse by fellow contemplatives. WhoseSongs were from the depths of a loving heart. A poet toMatch all poets and a prose writer second to none. Also a Painter- that was and is Juan de le Cruz / Saint John of The Cross- a mystic for all of human kind which our Millennium requires as a guide for the spiritual Revolution which is expected and is requiredTo overcome the evil which at present Is rampant throughout the world.

The Jewish ‘Old Testament’Introduces us to the Virgin Mary.In Genesis- the ‘seed’ of the ‘woman’ Is Jesus. Mary is the ‘woman’. In Isaiah (7:14) Another reference to Mary: ‘The Virgin- Mother Of Immanuel’ (God with us). Later, ‘Immanuel’ Is referred to as the future Saviour of His People.(Is 8:8-9). Also, Micah (5: 2-3) Foretells the birth of Our Saviour In the town of Bethlehem…

It is difficult to understand theOpposition to the reality of Mary’s role In our salvation. Perhaps, the source of theirOpinion is the book’s referred to ‘father of lies’.For the latter is opposed to our source and therefore Would never ever be expected to express a Declaration such as- Ave Maria or “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee…” A part of the Angel Gabriel’s announcement Confirming the conception of God’s anointed In the virgin womb of Mary.

My friend is Iosa, oh my friend is Iosa, For he loves me and I love him. We walk the road Of life together, from break of dawn to break of dawn. Oh! I love Iosa , my friend forever, who died for all onThat leafless tree. And I will bring a friend to Iosa: To walk with him, to walk with me….

From seeds or roots sowed and planted In supportive soil arises produce. Part ofOur source was conceived and nurtured inSoil of the purest. The soil was intended Prior to cultivation because our source Is beyond and none of our kind could Prepare such purity. Another aspect Of the three in one provided grace To flower Our source’s cultivation.

Paul said: "To further confuse matters, it has allegedly been said to some of the visionaries in Medjugorje, when the question was posed to our Lady about Maria Valtorta's work "if it can be read", and our Lady's response was allegedly, "It is real and can be read". What was interesting about that would be that our Lady would NEVER go against the Church's hierarchy's decision so like the great split that exists by many in the Church whether our Lady's appearences are real or not, recently Cardinal Schonburn affirmedthe chucrch's position that "while nothing to date can be declared supernatural or not supernatural, the faithful can go to Medjugorje, and are encouraged to go, as "Pope John Paul II" affirmed when he said, "Medgugorje is a place of prayer and great fruits.I hope that this help clears up the confusion for you?"

This seems to be a contradiction. The local bishop and his successor both stated very clearly that it was not of supernatural origin and that they have had many instances of disobedience. The part about the Blessed Mother contradicting the church just verifies that it is a false apparition. As the Blessed Mother wouldn't contradict the Church. I would like to see where Pope John Paul II said you can go to Medjugorje when the local bishop forbade pilgrimages there. I really like your blog and was about to send this link to some people I know when I read this. Please look into it further. Go to the diocesan site and read the statements by both bishops.Thank you. God bless,Ellen

Yes we definitely need to always be obedient to the Church regarding such sensitive matters but unless an apparition has been officially "condemned" after an investigation than the faithful are free to pilgrimage to such sites and read any messages connected with the alleged site. Sadly I've read more cases where Bishops literally stomped out apparitions and did not allow positive fruits to flourish and flow than Bishops who allow a "wait and see" period as long as there is nothing contrary to faith and morals. How many conversions and healings have occurred through authentic places of marian apparitions!

I recently reviewed Youtube interviews by Fr. Malachi Martin who read the actual text of the Third Secret of Fatima on 02/1960 under oath not to reveal its content. He said shortly before his death in 1999 that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary had not been done and mentions that Sr. Lucia said the Third Secret is found in Rev. 12-18 - It mentions a "Great Apostasy" and far more dire events than the Third Secret released by the Church Hierarchy in 2000! It is also recently reported that Sr. Lucia under obedience was silenced. This all supports Fr. Gruner's positions. Please comment! Also, is there a mystic alive on Earth today that has the ability to read souls like Padre Pio? Thanks and God bless you!

While I have read some of these reports, I have found that the problem is that there is no documentation supporting them, or at least, the documentation is questionable at best. The reports are based on alleged statements of individuals involved, without any significant evidence, so while perhaps they can be taken into consideration, I think they must be taken very lightly and with much skepticism. This would be my .02 cents, for whatever it is worth.....

As far as person(s) in the world today who can read souls (like St Padre Pio for example) I am sure there are some, as there has not been any time period in the history of christianity without its mystics, but as far as mystics in the public view here in the USA or Canada, it seems that at this time that Jesus is keeping them well hidden, and thus it seems at this time we do not have anyone like Fr. Solanus Casey who had lived in Detroit, or a Brother Andre Bessette in Montreal, or like St Padre Pio in Italy.....perhaps maybe it is because there are too many skeptics and doubters at this time in which we are living.....I think they are among us, but it is God's will for them to remaining quite hidden to the public.

I say this simply because of emails that I receive informing me of certain individuals here and there, but overall God seems to keep them quite hidden from the world, and many of them lead very hidden lives, presumably to protect their mission for the salvation of souls, according to God's holy will. There are of course some visionaries who are more known, but the authenticity of such persons is questionable, and there is always the possibility of being deceived by such persons.

Thanks again for your comments.Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,Glenn Dallaire

Hi Glenn.Thanks for your comments; I really respect your views which have been carefully thought out. What concerns me is that someone like "Fr. Malachi Martin" is a highly respected witness of the Church known for intellectually honest candor; if any of his positions ever appeared sensational to some, it is because he truly did have more esoteric inside knowledge than most. Thanks also for your comments on mystics with the gift of reading souls; I personally would seek such a person out because ultimately, I would want to know where I stand in the eyes of Almighty God.God bless you always...

After meeting fellow pilgrims, ChrisAnd Gerry, as I went for a stroll Around the beautiful countryside Surrounding Medjugorje, I responded With a change of mind and entered the Church of St. James for exposition ofThe Blessed Sacrament- just priorTo three o’clock on the feast ofThe Divine Mercy...

At approximately three a priestExposed Our Lord leading to myKneeling and bowing, followed By the closure of my eyes as IAdored Our Eucharist- then,Momentarily, experiencing A vision of a female person Hovering over a field withHer mantle flowing in aGentle breeze…Shocked and in responseFrequently opening and closing my eyes While shaking my head but the person Appeared real and slowly disappeared…

A figment of the imagination? But ever since Wondering was it you, Mary, Hovering within my being?

We must never forget that the Church contains both good fish and bad fish (Matt. 13:47). There have even been bad Popes who have lived scandalous lives. We must not let this separate us from the Church, "the pillar and ground of the truth" in which Christ dwells in the Blessed Sacrament!

St. Padre Pio offers us all some sound advice: "Where there is no obedience there is no virtue, where there is no virtue there is no good, where there is no good there is no love, where there is no love, there is no God, and where there is no God there is no Paradise."

Hey Glenn,Thanks for the article. I have read it a few times now on a couple different occasions over the last few years. I wanted to see if you have already or had thought about doing a similar article regarding "wonder" workers. I am curious to know some different and perhaps more academic perspectives on some of the protestant miracle workers of the last few hundred years. God Bless...

Hi can you comment on the visions of anne catherine emmerich..it has helped me a lot in discovering our Lady's life and felt I have been closer to her more..I am currently reading the book..The Life of the Blessed Virgin...do you think I should stop reading?appreciate email me ur response. m.gracerz@hotmail.com

Thanks for your comment. To reply to your question, yes, you can continue to read Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich's writings and be inspired and edified by them because during the process for her cause for canonisation her holy life and her writings were investigated and reviewed by the Church, and her writings were found to be free of any errors in faith and doctrine, so one can confidently read them if once chooses to do so.

Incidentally, if interested I have writtemn an article about Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich here highlighting the key points in her holy life, and the article has a few nice paintings of Blessed Anne Catherine in it also.

Well I am late to this conversation. But I came to God via a mystical union with Him. Our beloved Father lifted me and held me in jubilant rejoicing..for how long I don't know..no time for a measure. I was an agnostic and in this even every cell within me was changed.Yes I came away with knowings...and for years sought after Him to follow Him to my best ability...as no love is even slightly akin to Gods' love...and our Good God let me feel this to save me! My life has been devoted to His will, and in listening to Him I have found myself a revert to the Roman Catholic Church...where finally I here Him say...YES! One thing He revealed to me, I do share. "Little girl, to bring one lost soul to me is as wonderful as bringing me thousands of souls, as each one of you are this precious in My sight!" "Do little things in little ways...but do them all for me." I have a priest..confessor..and another missionary Priest in India guiding me. I prefer to do small thing in small ways..like here and now. We are each called to this! Yeah Papa!

I would like to foward this heavenly message about dreams from a certain visionary in our modern times (pielanito journal), particularly to sister Christina whom God has given a wonderful grace! And to all the others who has the same grace.

Matthew 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, (the wise men) left for their own country by another road.

“My children, is it so hard to believe that I would speak to my servants through dreams? It was not hard for the wise men to believe, nor St. Joseph. At certain times, I choose to speak to souls through dreams. Not every dream contains a message, but those that do require discernment. Those who are wise do not dismiss all dreams, but search the meaning of those that appear to be significant. I never send a dream-message without a reason, so it behooves the dreamer to pray and ponder. If you cannot decipher its meaning offer me this prayer, “Lord if this dream is from you, then please clarify its meaning; if not, please let it fade from my memory.” Be aware that the evil one can also speak through dreams. When in doubt about the origin of the dream it is best to ignore it completely. You may be at peace with this. Children if all this confuses you, go back to the basics, to Scripture, prayer and the sacraments. Be little and accept all that happens with grace and gratitude. I am near to you at all times, awake or asleep. My children, I love you. Have faith!”

Beloved Father of my heart, be near to me at all times. I lay my head on your heart, whether I am awake or asleep. In your mercy, grant me clarity in all things. Keep me faithful, humble, and small. I receive all your gifts and graces with deepest gratitude. Abba, Daddy, I love you! Amen.

Thank you and may God bless this community so as to help save many many souls!

I'm a young Catholic priest who wishes to remain absolutely faithful to the Church (I should hope that goes without saying).

Just a few years ago, I was able to make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. I went, making the conscious decision to remain discerning, obedient, and prayerful. I must say (and take it with as many grains of salt as you wish), even when I actively sought to remain objective and even skeptical, I witnessed a number of extraordinary events--both personal, as well as more public miraculous instances.

That being said, I do NOT place Medjugorje above the Church, and would ask anyone who does so to seriously and prayerfully consider the source of their motivation and inspiration. I, myself, will follow the Church in whatever her final ruling is regarding the alleged apparition.

I think it is important to note, however, that there is a rather unique historical and cultural context regarding the "special circumstances" surrounding the removal of the local bishop's authority, namely (and this is from the very mouths of the locals, as well as further ecclesial and historical sources): the local (mostly Croat-) Catholic population has experienced a number of devastating invasions/occupations/regimes through the centuries, first by the Muslim Ottoman Empire, as well as decades of suppression by Tito's Communism (not to mention Hitler and the Balkans Wars of the 1990's).

It is at least the sentiment (and I reserve the right to remain neutral--I am only reporting what I have been told and read) of the local Catholic population, that they were abandoned by the Diocese of Mostar. In one local's words, "The diocese fled while the Franciscans stayed behind to suffer and die with us." To this day, the people of that region call their local Franciscan clergy by the codename they used during times of persecution: "Uncle".

There has, apparently, been a lot of mistrust and hard feelings between the local population (including the Franciscan clergy) and the Diocese. So, when children began reporting visions of the Virgin Mary--in a Franciscan-run parish--in the midst of frightful Communist oppression--one might be able to better understand at least the context out of which these circumstances arose.

There were accusations that the Franciscans wanted to solidify their hold over their parish at Medjugorje (which objectively doesn't make sense, considering the harsh Communist backlash they were bound [and did] receive--the pastor himself was jailed, never recanting his story; under such circumstances, the Franciscans were more likely to lose the parish all together, than to hand it over to the Diocese). There were hard feelings (to describe it mildly) expressed by the local Serb (Orthodox) population--the alleged apparition site is located very near to a World War II massacre site, where Croat militiamen murdered local Serb women and children.

(...continued...) That being said, Our Lady often appears (IF she is, indeed, appearing in Medjugorje) in the most unlikely settings: in the midst of an overwhelmingly non-Christian Mexico (Guadalupe), or a country in the middle of a communist takeover (Fatima, Portugal), etc. Additionally, there are any number of saints who, at one time or another, or throughout their entire lives (e.g. St. Joan of Arc), were thought of unfavorably by the local ecclesial authority. Yes, I know we can pick apart each example--I'm only trying to make a point.

My intention is NOT to prove or disprove, to convince or negate anyone's opinions regarding Medjugorje. In the end, the rocky hills of Medjugorje are dust: only the Truth of Christ and His Church remains. If the Church herself has seen fit to take some extraordinary steps in regard to ecclesial administration and governance (and, I admit, it's hard to keep track of what's going on, when, who, why, and what it all means), then I must also recognize, at least, the extraordinary nature of the historical and cultural context within which the entire phenomenon is occurring.

By all means, always opt for fidelity to the Church. What that presently means in regard to Medjugorje is as complex as the context into which the situation is placed.

I keep an open mind in regard to Medjugorje; but in the end, Christ must rule the day. In the end, if that means having to chose between them, I choose Christ.

(An interesting note: at one of the alleged apparitions [at which were a number of close friends and family of mine], Our Lady supposedly said that if she were to appear in bodily form to all those present, but, at the same time, a priest was saying Mass in the next room, that everyone must go immediately to the Mass. Beautiful...true...and interesting...that's all...)

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"Why do you talk to me as if I am so far away? I am very near....in your heart.""Ask Me for love. Ask Me; I am burning with desire to give it to you""Talk to Me. For Me there is no sweeter prayer"-Words of our Lord to Gabrielle Bossis.